Here’s a new beanie I made today, sideways on the green (36 peg) Knifty Knitter loom with a peg spacing of 5/8″. So you’ll need a pretty bulky yarn. I’m sharing this tutorial with you because I love this hat, and hope you can make one you love, too. I used Loops & Threads Country Loom yarn in “Shale”. I got it on sale at Michael’s for $6.99 a couple weeks ago. I love bulky projects, because they’re so quick. I’ve been mostly knitting on a 3/8″ or 1/4″ loom lately, I got this done in 2 hours. It’s a pretty basic pattern.
Level: Confident Beginner
What You Need to Do
- Crochet cast on (e-wrap cast on also works, but this is better for seaming)
- E-wrap knit (K in the pattern)
- Purl (P in the pattern)
- Wrap & Turn (W&T in the pattern) You lift the peg up from the specified peg, wrap the yarn around it like a half stitch and then place the pre-existing peg over it.
- Short rows are used, also. This means you knit a specified number of pegs, turn, and go back the other way.
- Knitted cast off: This works best for seaming. I will explain it at the end.
The Pattern
Crochet cast on 22 pegs (this is for a small hat, for a medium, add 3 pegs, for a large, add 6) from Right to Left: Clockwise.
The first peg you cast on, on the right, is Peg 1. The last peg you cast on, on the left, is peg 30.
The hat, cast off, measured from side to side (bottom) in inches.
Place a stitch marker on Peg 4, Peg 22 and Peg 13. These show where the brim starts/stops, the ending of the short rows, and the marker on Peg 22 should be movable. This helps you keep track of what row you’re on. The entire set of pegs is knit and purled, there is only one slip stitch (skip the stitch) at the first row.
The hat, measured from top to bottom (after being cast off, before being seamed) in inches
Wedge
R1: Sl1, Knit all
R2: Purl 4, K 17, W&T 21
R3: Knit 17, W&T peg 4
R4: K 16 W&T 20
R5: K all (to peg 1)
R6: Purl 4, K 15, W&T 19
R7: K to 15, W&T peg 4
R8: K 14, W&T 18
R9: K all (to peg 1)
R10: Purl 4, K 13 W&T 17
R11: K 13, W&T peg 4
R12: K 12, W&T 16
R13: K all (to peg 1)
R14: Purl 4, K 11, W&T 15
R15: K 11, W&T 4
R16: K 10, W&T 14
R17: K all (to peg 1)
R18: P4, K to end
The hat is made up of wedges. Repeat rows 1-18 a total of 5-8 times (depending on bulkiness of yarn, size of your head, tightness of stitches, this is an estimate, I have a tiny head, so I made 5 repeats, but it could have used 6. Oh well) and then use the Knitted Cast Off and seam the hat.
Knitted Cast Off (with pics)
Step 1: You are at peg 30 now, for easiness, we’ll now call this peg 1. Wrap peg 2 (which is to the right of it) and knit the bottom loop over the top)
Step 2: Move the stitch you just knit on Peg 2, to peg 1, and knit over.
Step 3: Move peg 1 to peg 2.
You have now cast off one peg.
Repeat until there is one peg left on the loom. It’s easier than it sounds. See pics.
On the last remaining loop, cut the yarn to a good length, and use a tapestry needle to pull up over the peg, through the loop, and cast off the final peg, so they’re all off of the loom.
Seaming the Hat
Flip the hat inside out (either side could be the right side, it depends which you prefer) and the tapestry needle will be at the bottom of the hat. Use your preferred stitch, and sew through each loop up until the top, knot the yarn, and it’s seamed! Weave in ends.
You can use pins to make seaming easier (so the hat doesn’t move around much, and you stitch to the correct opposite side) and once you’ve stitched it up, flip it inside out, and you hat is done!
Notes:
A provisional cast on and off can be used. You can also place the cast on loops back onto the loom and then run the tapestry needle through them (be careful not to tighten to much, leave a loose seam) and then that is the wrong side of the hat (because it’s noticeable there is a seam) so flip it inside out and weave in ends.
One repeat is one triangular shaped wedge. You are wrapping and turning so there are no gaps in the finished fabric. You are making 2 rows to the hat part of the hat for every 1 row of the brim. The brim will look ribbed when cast off and seamed, and the hat will be all knits. Feel free to change the pattern around. This makes the brim half the size of the hat, making a beret, or tam. This is the easiest way I’ve been able to achieve this look.
I have a tiny head. A hat made on the 36 peg Knifty Knitter loom in the round, is almost big on me. I left measurements. This hat is knit sideways, and can easily be altered by changing the number of pegs. I gave the size that I used for my own head, which would fit a younger teen or older child.
Experiment with how this hat is worn. You can roll up the brim, wear it over your ears, make it more slouchy, and so on.
Feel free to share this pattern, but credit me. It is free, and always will be.